Morning issues an invitation, but will we hear it?

I don’t really do mornings. My brain feels largely comatose until what passes for late morning at least for most.

It’s an insomniac thing where each morning is an unwanted extension of a wakeful night.

It’s an M.E thing whereby profound fatigue, pain and brain-fog steal away energy and clarity for hours at a time.

Greeting a new day well is a goal I have yet to meet.

I long to be alert enough to see and sense God’s hand at work each day, to awaken to wonder.

But I usually have to concede to a slow coming round with hands gripped to a coffee cup and eyes barely open. And a brief lifting of my spirit toward the Lord as I ask for help and strength to begin again.

On the rare occasions when I waken in the dawn hours (and have the wherewithal to look out the window), I love to watch as sun slides her presence through soft morning mist.

There’s nothing quite like seeing a morning unfold and raising a soul to the One who breathes life into every moment.

Most of my days are wrapped in the sameness of being housebound and constrained by chronic illness.

Hi Lauren, yes they can! The quality of our sleep has such a great impact on how we view the morning after. I hope you have some better and brighter mornings where joy and appreciation are the distinguishing features rather than anxiety or fatigue. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

“God penetrates each day with gifts of grace and we need eyes open to see them.” I love this line especially, Joy. It’s causing me to reflect on how very much God loves us. It’s amazing that even when our minds are fogged with fatigue and we have a hard time concentrating on God’s gifts, God doesn’t stop sending His gifts of grace. May we open our eyes and hearts to see them whether it’s morning, noon, or eve. Thank you! Hugs!

Trudy, because you are a grace-dweller with a keen eye for God’s hand at work in the everyday, it doesn’t surprise me that the line you quote from my post is significant to you. God seems to be teaching you some marvellous things about His love and I’m enjoying reading about them. Yes and Amen to keeping our weary eyes open day or night! As you so rightly say, “God doesn’t stop sending His gifts of grace” no matter that the season or time of day may be. Thank you for sharing here. I really appreciate your company and contributions to the conversation. Blessings and hugs! <3

I AM a morning person, Joy, and had the good fortune to get my old, aching body up and out the door early this morning for a walk. It was a blessing, indeed….
I so love poetry–yours is lyrically beautiful. Wow.

Well done for getting up and greeting the day at an early hour, Jody! It’s not easy to do when a body feels weary, but it can be such a blessing when we have an opportunity to appreciate beautiful scenery. Thank you so much for your kind words about my poetry! I appreciate them more than you know. As I’m currently in the throes of finalising a poetry collection for self-publishing (and prone to all the angst it produces), your words are a gift of grace to my soul. Bless you, friend.

I’m a morning person…but even if I wasn’t, Bella The Miracle Dog IS, and her slight cough…”Dad, I need to go out”…would make me one.

Bella has a broken back, and while her spinal cord is not severed, she is still re-learning to walk, and she needs help in doing the necessary…support, and a bit of pressure, gently applied. (Sh’e a little terrier we found discarded in a ditch a few years ago.)

Thank you, Andrew. I’m pleased to have been given words to help lift your spirits at such a challenging time. I love how you describe Bella The Miracle Dog. She sounds really special. It made me smile to think of your dogs rousing you to begin a new day. Having appreciated and benefited from your constant love and support over time, they are well placed to return it in full doggy measure. What would mornings be without such caring canine friends to keep you warm company? All the poorer, I would imagine. It’s always a pleasure to see you here and to read your words each week. But I’m aware how hard it is to keep going with the writing and commenting when pain presses in so persistently. Rest wherever and whenever you can, my friend. Thinking of you. Blessings and prayers.

Your words always make me smile, Joy. As a child who had a very vivid imagination (I would act out scenes with my bedpost) I get such beautiful images in my mind when I read your beautiful poetry. “Grace to try and to start again” indeed! Be blessed, sweet sister.

Lynette, I smiled too as I read your post. Having music to add a lift to your mornings is an idea I’d love to emulate. However, I’m challenged by being overstimulated by hypersensitive hearing and tinnitus. It makes listening to music/TV etc hard to do. I like (and need) my start to the day to be quiet and slow, although conversation over coffee is usual. You bring joy to my heart, sweet friend, in sharing how my poetry touches you. It is my hope and prayer that it will speak soul-deep to those who read it, so to hear how you have “beautiful images” in your mind from reading the words is heartening. Thank you! Have a blessed weekend.

You too, June? It’s a gift of grace to be awake and alert enough to rise early, isn’t it? I’m grateful for the way you record your days via a lens. It speaks of an observant eye and listening ear open to God’s activities in the world around. Whenever we are able to pay closer attention, God seems to reward us with words or images that lift our spirits and those whom we share them with. Have a blessed week, my friend!

I adore your description, “breathe it’s Eden potential”! What a lovely image and reminder to be grateful for a fresh start, a fresh chance, every morning. Hard to change my night owl tendencies, even with four children in the house. I’d like to transition into a morning lover. Blessings to you!

Hi Carrie. I’m glad the words: “breathe its Eden potential” spoke to you. I see each day as opportunity to begin again. Maybe some of that is wishful thinking after a bad day/night or more. Although we do have much to be thankful for having “a fresh start, a fresh chance, every morning” because of God’s great mercy and grace! I smiled when I read of your “night owl tendencies” in the midst of aiming to be fully present to your family. Our children soon learn when the best time might be for approaching their parents and being confident of getting a good response, don’t they? Blessings to you for stopping by.

I’m not a morning person. I have ADHD. All my time is precious but it’s hard to get my brains quietly in the morning. So I have learned myself to drink coffee first and read a bit in the bible and with my Heavenly Father. He knows my thinking better than I do. He knows I have difficulty in concentrating and is helping me. Thank you for this nice blog, Joy. You are so precious!

Your morning sounds lovely, Ariëlla. It seems like you’ve found a great way to work around your health challenges. And I’m sure God knows us better than we know ourselves. He makes allowances for our individual ways and times of connecting with Him. Bless you for stopping by to read and leave a comment. I appreciate it! 🙂

Hi Joy. So wonderful to read of your blog In the Cof E mag not so long after encountering you and Phil at the hospital all those years on! I imagine it was one of your better days when I saw you. I’m sorry that it wasn’t really an occasion for truly catching up but what you are sharing here is so much more meaningful.

I love poetry and, in this poem, the phrase ‘Eden potential stretched bare across canvas of sky pulled taut with longing’ especially resonates with me as does ‘I am rich with love I ache for you to know’. His Love is truly our abiding consolation in a world which is crumbling for so many. Mary did indeed choose the better part and it is so good to know you are experienc.ing the blessing of His love for you, Joy, in the midst of your extended pain.

Hi Linda. What a lovely surprise to hear from you! I’m so sorry we were both unable to stop and have a proper catch up chat when we met briefly at the hospital. Thankfully, it was one of those days when God gave me special grace to make it out and be a support for Phil. I really wanted to ask after your family too. And to think you then ‘discovered’ me from the ‘Soul Space’ article – plus finding out how you love poetry too – is truly amazing! God moves in mysterious ways. It’s humbling and encouraging to hear you have been blessed by reading this post and have an interest in buying my book. Please feel free to explore the archives here or maybe consider subscribing as a way to stay in touch. Love to you and yours. Every blessing. Xx

Thanks for your reply, Joy. I just wanted to add how beautiful I think your poetry is. You have such a gift for other writing too. I will endeavour to catch up with the rest of your posts and pass on. In the meantime congratulations on winning Best Blog!

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Hi, I'm Joy. Welcome to my blog. I write about my journey of life and faith with the goal of helping others toward greater freedom in knowing who they are in Christ.
And to reveal, as I share words of joy and encouragement, how beauty can spring forth from brokenness and hope shines bright even in dark circumstances.